News About the National World War One Museum's 2024 Symposium: War and Morality, 15–16 November 2024

The Museum's Annual Symposium this year can be experienced ONLINE, but attendance in-person at the museum is also possible

The 2024 Digital Summit—The Topic: 

As the defining event of the 20th century, how does World War I inform our understanding of “just” war? When President Woodrow Wilson led the United States into WWI to “make the world safe for democracy,” it marked an end of American isolationism and initiated an era of global democratization. Despite the efforts of multinational coalitions like the Triple Entente and League of Nations, crises have persisted throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, revealing the strategic and ethical complexities that define modern conflict and its impact on our global society.

Questions Such As These Will Be Addressed:

• What is a “just” war?

• What are the ethics of war (e.g. The Hague, Geneva Conventions)?

• Who is the most reliable judge of a war’s morality?

• Is it important to judge the morality of World War I?

• What standards has WWI set for contemporary war ethics?

• How have international norms changed? Is war a driver of international laws on armed conflict?

• What justifies a pre-emptive strike? What are the moral and ethical implications?

After the First Gas Attacks, the Germans Were
Depicted as "Stinky Beasts," but That Soon Changed

The 2024 Digital Summit—The Presenters

Speakers include WWI authors and historians as well as military and civilian experts and practitioners in military law and civil-military relations. A full list with biographical sketches can be found  HERE.

The 2024 Digital Summit—Registration

In-person registration includes access to all digital sessions (via large screen with group seating), the museum's galleries, one additional in-person conversation with museum staff, lunch and light refreshments. Opens: Friday, 15 November 2024 8:00 a.m.

Online registration includes digital access to all sessions.

If you are an educator and wish to pursue professional development credit, the museum is also offering a post-summit workshop with seven hours of credit.

Register Online HERE

The Preparedness Movement Set the Stage
for American Involvement

Sponsors:  National WWI Museum and Memorial • Western Front Association • Modern War Institute at West Point • International Society for First World War Studies • WW1 Historical Association • International Relations Council